OSINT Insights from Fivecast’s Australian OSINT Community of Interest event
At the Fivecast Australia OSINT Community of Interest Event 2026, we brought together practitioners from government, industry, and academia, to explore how open‑source intelligence and emerging technologies are shaping modern intelligence, investigation, and security environments. Designed as a forum for practical discussion and community connection, the event created space for frank conversations about capability, responsibility, and OSINT insights.
Hear from the speakers below, who shared their OSINT insights from the day:
- Chris Taylor – Head of the Statecraft & Intelligence Policy Centre, ASPI
- Meg Tapia – Managing Director, Novexus & Expert Associate, ANU
- Dr. Josh Roose – Associate Professor of Politics, Deakin University
- Matt Winlaw – CEO & Managing Director, EDD Group
- Dr. Brenton Cooper – Co-Founder & CEO, Fivecast
- Duane Rivett – VP Strategic Growth & CEO, Fivecast
In this interview, we speak with Chris Taylor, Head of the Statecraft & Intelligence Policy Center at ASPI, about his OSINT insights from the Fivecast COI event.
“There were fascinating questions and comments. People are really interested in these issues.”
What are the key takeaways from your session?
I’d love people to take away from my session and understanding of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the future of the intelligence business. That’s got enormous upside. It’s got enormous DAGs on it, enormous challenges. And I suppose what I’m very interested in is discussing with people, the part to be played there by changing customer expectations.
Would you recommend this event to others in the OSINT Industry?
I’d recommend people get involved in these kinds of events and these kinds of conversations, because that’s how we generate new ideas. It’s how we generate new understandings and a better informed approach to what is an increasingly integral part of decision making in the private sector and the public sector as well.
How would you describe the atmosphere at the event?
I think the energy of the room was really engaged. There were fascinating questions and comments. People are really interested in these issues. They’re interested in exploring them, and the opportunity given by the forum, I think, was really appreciated.
In this interview, Managing Director, Novexus & Expert Associate at ANUI, about her OSINT insights from the Fivecast COI event.
“We need to be aligned on the mission. So I would say trust is absolutely the top theme.”
What are the key takeaways from your session?
I think the key takeaways from the panel that I participated in today are fundamentally about trust, the importance of trust between the vendor, the supplier, and the customer, which is the government, which is agencies, about how you build that trust, which is through open, transparent conversations. I think the government has a role to play in that. It needs to share the rules of the road, share the foundations, but also industry really needs to come to the table to be honest about algorithms, to be honest about what it is that its capabilities or solutions are capable of what it can do and not try to deceive in order to try to win the work. Because that’s not good for anybody, right? We need to be aligned on the mission. So I would say trust is absolutely the top theme.
What made the event valuable for you?
I think events like the Fivecast community of practice are really valuable for anyone working in the space who’s using the Fivecast tools. Not only do you want to know what the tool is capable of, and what the next iteration of solutions is within the tool, but you also get to co-design and participate in that, and then you also get to come here and have an amazing time networking with people, really meeting people outside of your immediate cohort. That’s really the value.
How would you describe the atmosphere at the event?
We had an amazing session earlier that talked about countering violent extremism, counter-terrorism, and lone actors. That was really sobering. You could hear a pin drop in the room. There was such silence and intensity. I do think that the panel that we had then, which was about public-private partnerships and which was about AI, was a little bit lighter, and there was a bit more laughter in the room. So the energy has shifted, but it’s been really good all round.
In this interview, we speak with Dr. Josh Roose, Associate Professor of Politics at Deakin University, about his OSINT insights from the Fivecast COI event.
“It’s really important to understand the amount of information that’s available.”
What are the key takeaways from your session?
The key takeaways from today are that the threat environment is rapidly evolving in counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism. It’s really important to understand the amount of information that’s available, because people are online engaging in different ecosystems but also creating their own material is immense. So making sense of that requires not only the ability to identify it, but to understand it, to identify key patterns. And really, for me, that’s why Fivecast is a particularly important player in this space.
Would you recommend this event to others in the OSINT Industry?
To attain forecast and insight. This because not only are you getting exposed to key leaders in the space who are sharing that information firsthand, and you build it, engage and ask them questions, but also to meet others who are in the space. It’s an incredibly challenging environment at the moment, and the ability to talk to others who are doing the work that you do is, you know, not only professionally helpful, but also, to an extent, creates an environment in which you feel like you’re not alone, that you’re you’re doing this incredibly important work, but working, you know, as part of a much broader network of people.
How would you describe the atmosphere at the event?
So the energy in the room is fantastic. Everyone’s really highly engaged, lots of questions, but also lots of interaction amongst each other. See some really great conversations happening. And honestly, I’d love to be a fly on the wall to some of those
In this interview, we speak with Matt Winlaw, CEO & Managing Director at EDD Group about his OSINT insights from the Fivecast COI event.
“From our perspective as well, sharing some ideas on what we’re seeing internationally across the US and the UK, and how that may benefit Australia.”
What do you think are the key takeaways from today?
I think these events are a great way for people, especially in the intelligence community here in Canberra, to get together and share some ideas where they can. Obviously, there’s certain information that can be shared, but ideally around strategy, tradecraft, and technology. You know, a lot of folks don’t have the time these days because they’re so busy with their day-to-day to get out there and see what capabilities are available. And I guess from our perspective as well, sharing some ideas on what we’re seeing internationally across the US and the UK, and how that may benefit Australia.
What made the event valuable for you?
I think people have been very positive, collaborative, and open to sharing their insights, asking a lot of questions, typically in these sorts of forums. I see them internationally. Folks are saying nothing, right? They’re just taking the information in. They’ll go back and disseminate it themselves. But here everyone’s been pretty open with some community spirit, I guess, across the Canberra intelligence community.
How would you describe the Fivecast event?
I describe this event as one that’s a must attend, a must see if you’re, you know, focused on defense, national security, law enforcement or enhanced due diligence. Generally, you need to be attending.
In this interview, we speak with Dr. Brenton Cooper, Co-Founder & CEO at Fivecast, about his OSINT insights from the Fivecast COI event.
“I think it gives users of our capabilities an opportunity to share their experiences, ask the difficult questions, and really sort of push the boundaries of what’s possible within Fivecast.”
Why do you think it is important to attend the Fivecast masterclass?
Attending the Fivecast Masterclass is really important. I think it gives users of our capabilities an opportunity to share their experiences, ask the difficult questions, and really sort of push the boundaries of what’s possible within Fivecast.
How would you describe the atmosphere at the event?
The energy in the room today is fantastic. There are a lot of great, insightful questions being asked. There are ideas being exchanged, and networks are being built, which is really why we’re putting things like this on.
How would you describe this event in 3 words?
Educational, insightful, and uplifting.
In this interview, we speak with Duane Rivett, VP Strategic Growth & Co-Founder at Fivecast, about his OSINT insights from the Fivecast COI event.
“We bring together industry and academia to help solve complex problems that we all face about keeping our communities safe.”
Why do you think it is important to attend the Fivecast event?
It’s important to attend Fivecast events like this because we bring together industry and academia to help solve complex problems that we all face about keeping our communities safe.
How would you describe the atmosphere at the event?
Well, I think the energy in the room is collaborative. People are enthusiastic. People are wanting to learn. People are wanting to connect with each other.
How would you describe this event in 3 words?
The three words I’d use to describe this event are collaboration, community, and learning.
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